In today’s digital age, social media isn’t just a tool for businesses—it’s a lifeline, connecting brands to people, driving engagement and fueling growth in ways traditional marketing can’t match. But how essential is it to the door and window and glass and glazing industries?
A recent poll conducted by [DWM] sister publication USGlass magazine sheds some light. The poll asked users to rate the importance of social media to their businesses with options ranging from “Very Important” to “Not Important at All.”
The results are telling: Most respondents believe social media is crucial, with 41% saying it’s very important and 40% finding it somewhat important. Less than 20% said it wasn’t very important or unimportant.
Kurt Miglas, sales and marketing manager at insulbar, is a solid proponent.
“Social media is vital for building brand awareness and directly engaging with our target audience,” Miglas says.
He emphasizes that a consistent presence reinforces the brand, making building trust and establishing new relationships easier.
For Mika Eronen, a glass specialist at Finland-based manufacturer Global Glass Specialists, the value is in your content.
“We aim to offer content that really supports a wider audience within the flat glass industry and its various stakeholders,” he says, adding that technical documents have been successful.
Andrew Haring, chief marketing officer at Frameless Hardware Company LLC, adds that “social media should be an essential arm of any marketing strategy. You need a diverse marketing mix, or you’ll simply miss some people.”
But not everyone sees social media as an essential tool, or even enjoys the experience of using it.
“It’s a necessary evil that helps us gain clients,” says Joanna Anastasio, a marketing manager at LGM Glass Designs, an installer of commercial and residential glass in Maryland.
Anastasio says social media has had an impact on reaching wider audiences for her company but that she dislikes using it.
Nicholas Shulsky, president at Stern and Company, a rep agency for glazing industry manufacturers in Cleveland, says he doesn’t see the benefit of industry reps’ presence on social media. However, he does say all of the suppliers he represents in the fenestration industry have their own marketing and social media teams.
At least one person, Kyzer Thiessen, president of Commercial Glass & Metal, a commercial glass and glazing service in Missouri, sees both the advantages and drawbacks of using social media.
“In the glazing industry, social media helps get our business in front of people for service work in our local markets,” he says. “But for contract jobs, we haven’t had as much luck with ad spending or posting.”
When asked which social media networks have worked best for business, there seemed to be overwhelming support for LinkedIn.
“LinkedIn has been incredibly effective in engagement for me personally and my company,” says Haring. “It’s also grounded in professionalism, allowing people to show their human side without completely devolving into Facebook or X free-for-all territory regarding politics and opinions.”
Miglas didn’t hesitate when asked which network worked best for him: “Definitely, LinkedIn.”
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